1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to disabled patient lifting slings used with mechanical patient lifts, specifically to such slings used for toileting.
2. Description of Prior Art
Slings used for toileting of disabled individuals, commonly referred to as “split” slings, often consist of a generally U-shaped fabric, as shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional split sling 1 is a substantially U-shaped fabric comprising a central span 2 that serves as a back support section and substantially vertical fabric 8 extending from either side of the central span and substantially perpendicularly to the central span. The vertical fabric 8 is placed under the thighs of the patient and comes up between the legs of the patient, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 & 3. Referring to FIGS. 2 & 3, leg straps 11 extend from the ends of vertical fabric 8 and connect to a lifting device 13. The purpose of the sling is to provide a safe and secure means of transferring a disabled individual to a toilet, while also providing access for lowering clothing so that toileting can be effected. These two primary purposes of the sling are to some degree conflicting as will be explained below. It is also desirable to be able to place the sling on someone who is already sitting in a wheelchair without having to first raise the person out of the chair to place the sling underneath them.
To effect toileting, which requires partial removal of clothing, it is desirable to maximize access to the persons' clothing by leaving their buttocks area maximally exposed and accessible. However this is in conflict with the need to transfer them safely and securely from a wheelchair to the toilet, since the larger the opening in the sling to provide access to clothing, the less support the sling provides and the greater the tendency for a patient to slide through the sling, as illustrated in FIG. 4. In addition, the large variation in body shapes and sizes among the disabled patient population requires that there be a range of sling sizes available to accommodate this variation. An individual patient may therefore be assigned a sling that is not optimally sized for them specifically, which may further increase the tendency to slide through the sling or alternatively may not provide sufficient access to clothing. The need to stock a wide variety of sling sizes is also an added cost for health care facilities. The need to select a sling for an individual patient creates an opportunity for an incorrect selection to be made, increasing the risk to the patient. In addition, since toileting is after time-sensitive, it is necessary to be able to place the sling and effect the transfer in a minimum amount of time.
While this field contains considerable prior art, these slings have proven inadequate. U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,458 B2 to Felling describes a conventional “split” transfer sling design. While this design of split sling does provide increased support underneath the patient's buttocks to minimize the tendency for the patient to slide through the sling, the opening in this type of sling does not provide sufficient access to clothing to effect lowering/removal of the clothing for toileting.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,534 B1 to Hakamiun and U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,975 A to Firebaugh show a lift using a similar conventional “split” transfer sling with insufficient access to clothing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,190 B2 to Carbonneau presents a variation on a “split” sling with additional patient securing means, but it also does not provide for clothing accessibility.
U.S. Pat. No. D602224 S1 to Liljedahl describes a conventional “split” toileting sling. The opening in this sling is enlarged to allow the patient's buttocks to protrude through the sling and allow better access to the patient's clothing. Great care must be used however to prevent the patient from slipping through the sling. The sling must therefore be sized and carefully adjusted to the individual patient, requiring additional time and a well trained nursing staff. Even so, patients with poor body tone tend to slip through the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,975 A to Hickerson attempts to improve the access to clothing by using a support strap just behind the knees and a support strap which is cinched around the patient's waist along with supports underneath the armpits to prevent the patient from sliding down. While providing good access to clothing, this sling design is uncomfortable and impractical for a wide variety of patients, particularly those without good muscle tone. U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,210 B2 to Erickson describes a similar two-piece sling. It also concentrates the lifting force on relatively small areas and is therefore uncomfortable and only suitable for individuals with good muscle tone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,057 A to Shaw is typical of solid-bottomed slings with an aperture to facilitate toileting. While these address the issue of the tendency of patients to slide through conventional “split” toileting slings, they do not provide access to clothing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,945,975 B2 to Clifford and U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,778 A to Cohen describe vests worn by a patient having handholds for lifting a patient. This approach requires the patient to wear an additional garment of clothing of the appropriate size.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,214,945 B2 to Simon and U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,538 A to Fulford describe complicated and expensive mechanical frames that are fitted to an individual and then connected to a lifting apparatus. The rigid design presents difficulty in terms of initially placing the patient in the fixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,534 B1 to Restivo and U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,288 B2 to Simon use a frame with pads to squeeze the patient's sides underneath the arm pits and leg supports behind the knees.
The design is not suitable for patients with breathing difficulties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,863 to Lerich describes a transporting device consisting of a pivoting chest pad to which the patient is strapped. The patient is transferred in a bent-over orientation and pivoted down onto a receiving surface. The design results in part of the weight being carried on the patient's chest, making it inappropriate for patients with breathing difficulties, who use ventilators or who wear cervical spine stabilization devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,222 B1 to Liljedahl describe a back support sling used with standing aid lifters. These do offer good clothing access but are not suitable for amputees or individuals who can not bear weight on their legs.